NEWS: Edmund McCONNELL Retires from Pennsy Service, 1919, Altoona, Blair County, PA

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EDMUND M'CONNELL VETERAN ENGINEER [photo]

Prominent Altoonan Established Record of Fifty Years Without Missing a Run

HAD REMARKABLE ROAD CAREER

  Edmund McConnell, of 1926 Tenth avenue, for fifty years in the service of 
the Pennsylvania railroad, was retired as a passenger engineer on the 
Pittsburg division on January 1, 1919.  He is now 66 years old and has been 
on the road since the age of 17 years, and can boast of a record that few 
trainmen equal both for faithfulness of service and experience in railway 
affairs.
  Mr. McConnell was born on a farm north of Newry, Blair county, on August 2, 
1852, and was left an orphan at the age of 13 years.  In his early teens he 
was employed in the post office at the old Franklin hotel, at Newry, in the 
time of the Civil war.
  At the age of 17, through the advice of friends he entered the service of 
the railroad, being made a locomotive fireman on the Pittsburg division, with 
Hollidaysburg as the terminal.  After firing on the one run from 
Hollidaysburg to Lilly, via Altoona, for engineman R. A. McKnight for a 
couple of years, Mr. McConnell was promoted to freight engineman on November 
25, 1871.
  The Hollidaysburg-Lilly, via Altoona run was at that time considered an 
enormous undertaking, as this train hauled all the coal from the mountain 
district, averaging 40 cars daily.  It has now increased to several hundred 
cars.
  After his promotion to engineman in 1871, he was transferred to Conemaugh 
where he was assigned to the "Leather Cracker," running from Johnstown to 
Henrietta, and hauling Cambria freight.  After hauling this run for several 
years, he was transferred to Altoona, then known as the "Union Line west" and 
"through freight east" from Altoona to Derry and return.
  On account of the railway order issued July 19, 1877, stipulating that the 
union line from Altoona should run through to Pittsburg instead of changing 
engine crews at Derry as heretofore, the great strike and riot of railway 
trainmen took place at Pittsburg.
  Mr. McConnell was on a run in Pittsburg at the time, in charge of engine 
No. 775.  His engine was one of the first to be ordered back from Pittsburg.  
He recounts many thrilling and interesting incidents of that week, when 103 
engines, 1900 cars and considerable property from Thirty-third street to the 
Union depot at Pittsburg went up in smoke.
  The riot was quelled only after a special train carrying Governor Hartraft 
[sic] and detachments of state militia arrived on the scene and restored 
order, by dispersing the riff raff rabble that caused the disturbance 
involving the deaths of many persons.
  Running through Altoona to Pittsburg, Mr. McConnell figured in several very 
bad wrecks, the blame of which was never due to him in any way.  He recalls 
vividly the big wreck and derailment at Kittanning Point some years ago, when 
the train broke and ran off, going over the embankment at the Horseshoe 
Curve, taking the whole train with it with the exception of three cars.  
During the time of the Pittsburg riot in 77, he had his train wrecked at 
Walls when the mob threw the switch.
  Throughout all his fifty years of service, Mr. McConnell has been very 
fortunate in receiving but a few minor injuries, none of which ever 
necessitated any loss of time, from his duties.  He can also boast of never 
having missed a single call or run, and of never having detained a freight or 
passenger train for one minute.
  After running from Altoona to Pittsburg for many years, he was later 
assigned as East slope freight helper and later as passenger helper, which 
latter position he held until his voluntary retirement on January 1, 1919.
  Mr. McConnell boasts of having successfully conducted many locomotive tests 
and of having run all classes of engines, from the old style E locomotive 
which had no air or injectors to the new class, K 4 passenger engines.  He 
also tested the first locomotive injectors used on the division, these latter 
replacing the old engine pumps.
  In the last year alone, Mr. McConnell has broken in 80 of the new class K4 
passenger engines on their initial trips out of the Juniata shops and had not 
one failure.  The entire record of his railway service is embodied in a 
comprehensive diary that he has kept throughout all these years and it 
affords a very interesting commentary on the phenomenal growth and extension 
of the P.R.R. system.  In this diary are also contained all accidents of note 
on the division, including the deaths of officials and employes.
  The father of a family of thirteen children, he can boast of having given 
to the service of the P.R.R. four sons as engineers, and four as firemen, 
making an aggregate of 150 years service on the railroad.
  While a member of city council from the Fifth ward, Mr. McConnell was 
always in favor of city improvements and foremost in many civic movements of 
his time.  He leaves the employ of the company with the best wishes of a host 
of friends, both in the engine house and on the road, who have always 
welcomed him into their midst on account of his ready wit and kindly humor.

Altoona Tribune, Thursday, January 20, 1919, page 11


NOTES: St. Patrick's Church, Newry, Hollidaysburg, PA: Blair County 
Genealogical Society, 1984, page 112 - McCONNELL, Edmundus b. 8/2/1851 bap. 
10/12/1851 #1700 J.B. (James Bradley, Priest) s/o Francisco & Anna McConnell  
sp. Joannes & Eliza. McCoy 
Ledoux, Albert H., Catholic Vital Records, Vol. II, Altoona: Author, 1994, 
page 119 - 3211 McCONNELL, Franciscum  m. 01/26/1841  Annam McCoy  wi: 
Henricus B. Bymaster/Maria Conrad  JB (James Bradley, Priest)